Double-decker buses add to downtown debate

A fast-tracked proposal to bring double-decker buses into historic downtown has been postponed, but is re-energizing calls to review tourism, traffic and downtown ordinances.

The Savannah City Council, which meets at 10 a.m. today, was scheduled to vote on changing its tourism ordinance to allow the buses, but as opposition grew, attorney Julie Wade, representing business owners Steve Caplan and Tom O'Connor, asked that it be referred to the Tourism Advisory Committee and placed on council's Jan. 10 agenda.

Consideration after that date, Wade wrote, likely would bar the business's entry into the market for several months.

She also stated that, aside from a Dec. 13 workshop where the proposal was presented for the first time publicly, "it was a culmination of many meetings we had with city staff and council members prior to the workshop to inform them about our proposal and answer any questions they had."

Some downtown residents, however, say asking for a recommendation so soon doesn't allow for proper review. Resident Toni Harrington calls it "unrealistic and patently unfair."

Part of the initial objection was that council bypassed the usual process, which calls for an initial review by the advisory committee.

Mayor Edna Jackson admits she and other council members were excited about the proposal. It would bring 20 more jobs, and they seemed reassured because the buses are a common sight in other tourist cities.

Though council had scheduled a vote, it also had a commitment from the double-decker company that it would abide by the tourism committee's recommendations, which would come later.

The new buses, backers say, are shorter, have a tighter turning radius than traditional double-deckers and will handle almost twice the passengers, which proponents say will reduce traffic.

After a flurry of calls and emails from residents and a letter from Hank Reed, president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, questioning whether double-decker buses would add to street congestion, street repairs and bring a lack of privacy for second-story residents, Jackson, for one, agrees the tourism traffic issue needs more thorough review.

"There are a lot of unanswered questions that I have now," she said.

Eric Brooks, another resident, wants the council to give more consideration, too.

"Those of us who have raised the concern certainly don't want to see this issue stampeded," he said. "We would like to see more discussion than 10 days after the first of the year would allow."

The recommendation council will vote on calls for the tourism committee to bring a recommendation to council early next year, not necessarily by Jan. 10.

Opponents say before any new buses are added, the city should review the overall impact of tour vehicles on the quality of life.

About 12 million visitors a year head to the Savannah area, and downtown has more than 100 tour vehicles operating in the historic district, plus more than 1,400 motor coaches permitted in more commercial areas, city officials say.

City staff and the tourism committee for the last year have discussed tourism, business and residential needs and reviewed existing tourism ordinances with an eye toward offering revisions early next year.

'Like a parade'

From their East St. Julian Street home, Brooks and his wife, Jeanne, say they tolerate the steady rumble and fumes of tour buses and the guides' constant narration that penetrates into the house.

During peak months from March to November, 150 buses a day pass. They've counted, Eric Brooks says.

"It's like a parade sometimes," he said.

A few houses away, Harrington and her neighbors around Washington Square see a similar procession.

"There are times when I've counted seven of them around the square at one time," Harrington said. "From our perspective, it's beginning to look like an amusement park and not really like a historic city."

So the thought of double-decker buses measuring 12-feet 6-inches tall raise a number of concerns for the Brookses, Harrington and many of their neighbors.

The buses, passing just a foot or two from some of the houses, will provide a perfect perch to allow tourists to peer into bedroom windows and other private areas. When traffic backs up, buses often sit for several minutes, residents say, and some bus tours run as late as 11 p.m. in peak season.

"So now if I sit in my back yard people can look over my 6-foot wall," said John Miller. "Talk about a lack of privacy."

Safety and the tree canopy are concerns for Artis Wood.

As the owner of Victorian Lady Tours and Talks, she often joins tour buses to provide narration, which are about the same height.

"Half of the buses I'm on hit branches," she said. "If just one person forgets the instructions and stands up and the wrong time, they could get hit and maybe hurt badly."

Before more buses come in, the residents say, they'd like to see the city vigorously enforce ordinances in place to limit the number of tour buses allowed on one square and an ordinance that states amplification is not supposed to be heard outside a bus.

Harrington can't help feeling she and other residents have been ignored by the process. She hopes that changes, because she believes residents like her have something to contribute to the success.

"I think there has to be some consideration of the residents because we're trying to keep the city as beautiful as we can," she said. "We're the ones that have the (historic) homes they want to see."